


The Disarrayed Mannequins

by Small_Hobbit



Series: A Study By Ghosts [6]
Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ghosts, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-25
Updated: 2020-01-25
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:15:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22402432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Small_Hobbit/pseuds/Small_Hobbit
Summary: Sally Donovan is called to a department store where a body has been found.  On arrival, she finds the ghosts are already there.
Series: A Study By Ghosts [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1154330
Comments: 6
Kudos: 14





	The Disarrayed Mannequins

**Author's Note:**

> Written for DW's Ficletzone Taylor Swift titles challenge, using Beautiful Ghosts.
> 
> While Sally is BBC Sherlock, the ghosts come from ACD Holmes

There was nothing quite like being dragged out of a dream involving a desert island and long cold drinks by a telephone call to say a dead body had been found in a department store and could she attend. What made it even worse was that, instead of a beautifully hot sunny day, it was dank, dreary and drizzling.

Sally Donovan presumed her feelings at the abrupt start to the day were clear in her expression when she entered the store, as the constable on duty instantly sprang to attention when he saw her. She followed his instructions to find a group of people gathered in one of the sales departments. The window display looked in disarray and the body was lying on the floor.

The pathologist looked up as Sally entered. “The body was moved after death,” she said.

“So, killed elsewhere and brought here?” Sally asked.

“Yes. Died probably four or five hours ago. I can give you more information once I’ve done the post mortem.”

“But why bring the body here?”

“That is for you to investigate, not me.”

Sally groaned. “As soon as the photographer’s finished you can take the body,” she said.

She looked again at the window display and sighed. She was sure it had changed in the short time she had been talking to the pathologist. “Right,” she announced. “I am going down to the other end of the sales floor to make a note of my first impressions. Cooper and Wallace, continue to interview the staff and then they can go. This department will need to be closed for the moment.”

The final remark was addressed to the manager. He looked resigned and had apparently expected this remark.

Sally walked over to the far side of the department, found a spot where she wouldn’t be observed, and waited. It wasn’t long before she was joined by two ghosts.

“What gave us away?” Lestrade asked.

“Hopkins. He changed hats,” Sally replied.

“My fault. I told him the purple one didn’t suit him.”

“To be honest, I’m not sure any Ascot hat would really look right on him.”

“You may have a point,” Sherlock Holmes agreed.

“What are you doing here?” Sally asked.

“We followed the corpse. The mannequins were rearranged deliberately. But then the manager moved them again to what you see now and swapped some of the outfits.”

“Did he follow a particular arrangement as well?”

“No, he was intent on simply changing what he saw. Presumably originally it was a message, but not something which made sense to me.”

“Could you recreate it?”

“Yes, we could.” 

“Someone would need to move the mannequins,” Lestrade said. “We wouldn’t be able to do that.”

“Do they matter, or was it the clothes which held the message?” Sally asked.

“The clothes,” Holmes said. “Ah, you’re thinking …”

“I am not wearing a dress,” Lestrade objected.

“One of them was a man,” Sally said.

“Top hat and tails,” Lestrade agreed. “I can do that.”

“Right, let me get rid of the two DCs and we’ll re-enact the scene.”

A little later Sally had the department to herself. It had taken a great deal of diplomacy for Sally to persuade the ghosts to dress up. She had hoped simply telling them how beautiful they looked, and how much she appreciated their help would work. Holmes was no problem, donning one of the dresses without objection. Lestrade was initially happy with his frock coat and top hat, until he complained that he should be wearing a grey hat and not a black one. It was only when Sally pointed out this might be a significant clue that he obliged.

Watson was not happy at all and it took Sally some time to realise that his main concern was that no well-dressed lady should be showing her ankles and that he was quibbling because the extremely respectable dress he was supposed to wear only came to below the knee. In the end Sally promised not to look at his legs and all was well.

Hopkins was sulking because he was supposed to wear the purple hat which Lestrade said didn’t suit him, and which clashed rather unfortunately with the apple green dress. It didn’t help when Lestrade told Hopkins he looked like a rather garish tulip, 

Sally glared at Lestrade, and said, “You remind me of the magnolia bush in my auntie’s garden. I’ve always been very fond of that.”

Slightly mollified, Hopkins consented to wearing the outfit and the tableau was complete.

“So, now we’re dressed as lords and ladies,” Lestrade began, “what do you conclude?”

Sally laughed and Lestrade said, “It’s not that funny!”

“No,” she agreed, “but Holmes’ dress is the same colour as the berries of the plant we used to call lords and ladies. The arum lily.”

“And highly poisonous at that,” Holmes added.

“Oh, but what if Lestrade’s black hat was deadly nightshade?”

“And Hopkins isn’t a tulip or magnolia, but a foxglove.”

“What about Dr Watson? I can’t think of anything that shade of blue.”

“Monkshood, also known as blue rocket or aconitum.”

“It’s not a co-incidence, is it?”

“I fail to see how it can be. If it was, the manager would not have bothered moving the mannequins’ or changing their clothes.”

“You didn’t see who killed the victim, did you?”

“If we had, do you think I’d have been wearing that dreadful dress?” Watson asked. “No, we saw the corpse being moved and followed along, since it seemed suspicious.”

“I’m curious about the manager,” Sally said. “He’s clearly involved. I think I’ll have a little chat with him, get some more details. Do you want to wait, or shall I call in later at Baker Street?”

There was a brief discussion, and the ghosts agreed there was nothing more they could do.

Then Watson said, “Where’s Hopkins?”

They all turned round to see Hopkins trying on an assortment of hats.

“I was right,” Sally muttered. “None of them suit him.” Then raising her voice she said, “Hello, beautiful ghost, your companions are about to leave.”

Hopkins took the hat off and joined the others, who departed through the window. Sally used the door and went to find the manager.

***

Later in the afternoon, Sally called round to Baker Street. She was conducted into what at one time had been the scullery.

Watson was apologetic. “I’m afraid our tenants will be home soon, and although they don’t seem concerned by our presence, they may find it rather strange to see you sitting on their sofa.”

“Would it be better if I left?” Sally asked.

“No, no-one will disturb us here,” Lestrade said. “It’s just not as comfortable for you.”

“I don’t mind. I only dropped round to let you know the manager has been detained on suspicion of murder. Our victim was definitely poisoned, and there’s now a possibility the manager was also responsible for a few other suspicious deaths in the last couple of years. There are other people involved, so we’re trying to work out exactly how this was all planned.”

“I’m surprised you found it that easy to justify the arrest,” Holmes said. “You had no proof when we left.”

“I asked him about the layout of the department when they found the body, and mentioned the lovely red dress, the colour of arum lily berries, that was lying to one side, and the aconite blue of another dress and he went to pieces, saying he’d not changed anything, how could he possibly have done so? Which was rather surprising when I had made no suggestion of it.”

Holmes nodded.

“So, then we asked the caretaker if he could describe the scene when he found it. He thought for a little while and said he couldn’t tell us exactly where everything had been, but he was sure one of the dummies was wearing a red dress and another had a purple hat on. He didn’t go back into the department after he phoned for the police but waited at the entrance. None of which would be sufficient to prosecute but was enough to raise doubts and allow for us to apply for a search warrant of the manager’s flat. I’m on my way there now, to see what they’ve found.”

“You will keep us updated, won’t you?” Watson asked.

“Of course I will,” Sally smiled, “without you he’d almost certainly have got away with it again.”


End file.
